1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the status bar of a graphical user interface. More particularly, it relates to a status bar configured to display status and provide programmable control of tasks executing in the background.
2. Background Art
For operating systems that support multi-tasking, worker threads allow non-visual tasks to be run in the background, freeing up the application's user interface for more user operations. The Notes Client is such an operating system. Tasks are of two types: those associated with a window tab, and those that aren't. Examples of tasks or operations that use a multi-threaded back end include archive, database copy, replace design, refresh design, analyze, extract, and file detach.
Users typically need or desire to know the status of such tasks running in the background. Heretofore, this need has been accommodated by displaying a dialog box with a progress indicator on it for one or more background operations (also referred to as tasks). This solved the problem of keeping the user informed but does so in an obtrusive manner which did not lead the user to appreciate that additional operations could be performed. Often once a dialog box is displayed, the user waits for the operation to complete and the dialog box to be dismissed. In doing this, the user loses the power of background operations, whether be one or more such operations. There is a need in the art for the display of background status which is presented in a non-obtrusive way, and which leads the user to continue with the performance of tasks or operations in addition to those running in the background.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for displaying the status of tasks running in the background.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for displaying the status of background tasks in a non-obtrusive manner.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for displaying the status of a plurality of background worker threads in a non-obtrusive manner responsive to user request.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for displaying the status of one or more tasks running in the background in such a way as to lead the user to understand that additional tasks may be conducted in the foreground.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for showing a user that a task is executing in the background of which he should be aware and which may require action.